On 5 February 2020, the Department of Marketing Management welcomed the BCom (Hons) Marketing Management group of 2020 with the theme ‘time to fly’. As the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences is celebrating its 100-year anniversary with the slogan ‘Advance’, the Department of Marketing Management joins in this celebration by encouraging students to move forward and reach new heights in this challenging, yet rewarding honours year. The Department of Marketing Management is also celebrating its 50-year anniversary and is planning an event towards the end of the year to celebrate this momentous occasion. This birthday event will focus on how marketing has evolved over time through the five decades of the Department’s existence. Each student in the honours group received a small gift to join in the 50-year celebration.

 

Prof Yolanda Jordaan, Head of the Department of Marketing Management, welcomed the students and provided them with valuable information about the Department. The students were introduced to all the lecturers who are involved with the honours programme and were given important information regarding the year ahead and how to approach each module. Students had the opportunity to introduce themselves to their fellow classmates, and were asked to share an inspirational quote with the class. One of the quotes shared was: “A mile of highway will take you a mile, but a mile of runway will take you anywhere”. Very aptly, the Department wishes that the students’ honours year will act as a runway, launching this group of students into fruitful careers and a promising future.

 

Marketing Management honours students and lecturer Danita van Heerden (front left)

 

Students received an interesting challenge in their welcome lecture. Each student received an envelope containing one part of a clock. Students were tasked to build a complete, functioning clock by finding the missing parts from the other students. In this way, groups were formed to complete the next part of the challenge. This gave the students an opportunity to meet and interact with fellow students. The significance of building a clock is to symbolise the rich history of the Department of Marketing Management that was built over five decades, as well as signifying that now is the time for this group of students to start building their future careers.

 

In the second part of the challenge, students had to get creative and think of ways to ‘sell’ their clocks to two of the honours lecturers. The students embraced their first challenge and already proved to be a group with great potential.

 

The Department wishes the BCom (Hons) Marketing Management group of 2020 a successful year ahead and would like to leave the students with a quote by Coco Chanel: “If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing.”

 

From left to right: Adoré Goosen, Melissa O’Donovan, Swee Zucule and Tayla Jonker

 

A creative clock designed by Daniela Wilson, Keabetswe Kgwele,

Elria Kruger and Oshai Moodliar